National Institute of Justice (NIJ)US Department of JusticeOffice of Justice ProgramsUnited States of America

Journal:

NIJ Journal Issue:249 Dated:July 2003 Pages:24 to 27

Date Published:

07/2003

Page Count:

4

Series:

NIJ Journal

Annotation:

After reviewing the history of the National Institute of
Justice's (NIJ's) bullet-resistant body armor standard, this
article discusses the purposes of the standard, describes plans
for improving the performance of body armor, and concludes with
an explanation of NIJ's leadership role in this field.

Abstract:

Thirty years ago NIJ introduced the first ballistic-resistant
body armor standard in response to a dramatic increase in the
fatalities of law enforcement officers during the 1960's. Vests
tested and worn in accordance with the standard have been
credited with saving more than 2,500 lives. Recognition and
acceptance of the standard has grown worldwide, making it the
performance benchmark for bullet-resistant vests. The 1972
ballistic body armor standard has been revised four times, with
each revision making the standard more detailed as it addressed
increasingly sophisticated technologies, particularly in weaponry
and ammunition. The current standard, updated in 2000, upgrades
the testing methods for measuring ballistic protection,
incorporates current threats from ammunition, and attempts to
ensure consistent laboratory testing of body armor. Education of
the law enforcement community about body armor is an ongoing
process, and NIJ's National Law Enforcement and Corrections
Technology Center is a key resource. The Bulletproof Vest
Partnership Grant Act of 1998 allows most law enforcement and
corrections agencies to afford body armor. NIJ is working in the
following areas to further improve body armor: development of a
testing protocol and specifications for providing multihit
testing capability for ballistic-resistant armor; extension of
the life expectancy of vests; updating of the 1981 ballistic
helmets standard to take into account more current ammunition
threats; and a general ballistic materials standard update to
cover other types of protective equipment, including blankets,
bunkers, and shields, as well as protected facilities. NIJ's
leadership role in this field has led the agency to partner with
other countries to establish similar ballistic-resistant armor
standards worldwide. 8 sources for additional information

* A link to the full-text document is provided whenever possible. For documents
not available online, a link to the publisher's web site is provided.

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